Darkmoon Saints
Members|image = Darkmoon_Saint_Guild_Symbol.jpg|status = Active|type = Combat, Secretarial|recruitment = Invite Only|title = Order of the Darkmoon Saints}} A devout sect of religious knights and acolytes that devoted their lives to serving the God of Judgment, Húrin. The Darkmoon Saints are divine soldiers that work for the Seven and specifically the God of Judgment, Húrin, to rid the lands of evil and heresy. Their home is Blackmist Castle on Arler's Rest in the Wither Rock Islands. They are not aligned with any particular race or country. The Darkmoon Saints are comprised predominantly of humans, though there are some Half-Elves among their numbers. The official colors of the Darkmoon Saints are black, royal purple, and gold. Darkmoon Healing Poem History of the Swords of Judgment One of the oldest orders in Lancerus, the Darkmoon Saints keep an ever watchful eye on the events of the Western World. During the reign of Ederis Whitefang, first King of Gildor, many scouts were sent across the lands. To the south of what would later become Larkenvale a series of islands was discovered in the bay. One of these islands contained a mysterious secret: Arler Galiron found a relic from the First Age. Embedded into the rock of one of the islands, surrounded by odd, black pillars, was a colossal black sword. The sword could not be removed by Arler, despite his great size and strength, and the runes upon its face unnerved the scout, so he returned to Ederis with the news. Arler was instructed to return with Ederis to the sword with soldiers in tow. Upon arrival, Ederis read the runes upon the blade, a language only one who had fought alongside the gods could understand. The sword had belonged to Húrin himself, the God of Judgment. The sight was revered and was believed to be the last place Húrin lay before his mortal departure to return to Outer World at the end of the Second Age. Ederis told Arler the name of the sword; this gave Arler dominion over it, allowing him to remove it from the stone. It is said that Arler then heard the voice of Húrin, and the first Darkmoon Saint was born. Blackmist Castle Full article: Blackmist Castle Shortly after, Arler began construction of a keep on the island. Using the islands natural geography, Arler was able to create a fort with only one natural entrance. The heavily defended gateway would never fall. Soon the entire island became a self-sustaining community of soldiers, farmers and artisans. A hierarchy was established based on skill, and any man or woman that wished to join the island had to bring something worthy to contribute. It was not long before these peoples were tested. Lancerus was still young and the dangers still widespread; in the year 48 of the Third Age, a great host of orcs, led by the Demigod Urthankh, came from the east and marched on Gildor. Arler got wind of the impending invasion and intercepted the orcs. With the aid of the terrible weapon of Húrin and the strength it gave the men, thousands of orcs were slain by merely 300 men. Arler died shortly after the battle from exhaustion: he was 70 years of age at the time. Upon return, the soldiers resumed work on finishing the island community. Though Arler would not live to see the castle's completion, he was buried deep within its halls as all Darkmoon would come to be. Saints of the Darkmoon From that day forward all members of Darkmoon Isle were known as Darkmoon Saints. Some farmers, some craftsman, all soldiers. The Darkmoon devoted themselves to the eradication of injustice anywhere in Lancerus. Húrin's blessing gave Darkmoon Isle powerful natural resources in ores and fertile soil. Many Darkmoon even received lengthened lifespans and greater physical prowess. Darkmoon goods were a valued commodity, and Darkmoon talent was either a blessing for good or a curse to the dark. No one wanted to be at the receiving end of a Darkmoon blade. For the duration of the Third Age, the Darkmoon Saints became an absolute power within Lancerus. No one, be it commoner or King, was above their authority. Many elite Darkmoon became vassals of Húrin, and were given the innate power to see the sins of mortals. In some cases, even Elves swore fealty to the Blades of the Darkmoon. The White War The Darkmoon Saints fought valiantly during the White War and often served as captains in the Gildorian army. Though the Saints were peerless in battle, the dark powers of the Forsaken were more than a match for them. Many Saints lost their lives against the Undead, and the Darkmoon numbers never truly recovered after the war. The Fall of the Darkmoon and The War of Six Kings As the White War came to a close, the Darkmoon Elders began to realize that the voice of Húrin had dimmed to less than a whisper. The Sword of Húrin, as well as the name used to invoke its power, were lost during the White War. The power of the Darkmoon was beginning to wane. It was around the year 670 of the Fourth Age that the Darkmoon adopted a new policy in order to keep the power of their island alive. Though the High Gods had fallen silent, the lesser deities could still be heard. Darkmoon soldiers began taking requests from the gods in exchange for divine blessings to keep the Darkmoon way of life intact. These requests soon became contractual, and until very recently, all Darkmoon missions were associated with garnering the divine favor of a lesser deity. It wasn't until the War of Six Kings that the Darkmoon would become united once again. Initially, the Darkmoon swore allegiance to Arik Whitefang of Gildor. When they learned of his bloodlust, however, they severed ties with the mad king and joined forces with Larkenvale to overthrow him. In response, Arik's men besieged Blackmist Castle. Not one stone of the castle was upturned, and Arik's men were thoroughly routed. The Silent Watchers After the War of Six Kings, the Darkmoon numbers continued to slowly fall away. What once was a powerful community of ten thousand is now no more than a few hundred. Though Blackmist Castle will likely always remain, the power of the Darkmoon is now less than a tenth of what it was in ages past. Still, the Darkmoon name commands respect, and the truly talented among them are some of the deadliest soldiers in all of Lancerus. Rebirth Full article: Trials of the Wolfeater III: Rebirth In August of 1016, a civil upheaval within the Darkmoon changed the dynamic of the holy order. Renly Galiron, reigning Lord Commander at the time, was overthrown by the forces of the Third and Second Legions of the Darkmoon. The five Judges (who had become corrupted Phantoms of themselves) were destroyed, and whatever force was controlling the Darkmoon from within was banished. Sinthaster and Lin Soraus took new control of the Darkmoon. Soldiers Greyne, Keirina and Aurilus aided in the restructure of the order. The Shield Maidens were prominent allies during the coup, and thus were sworn to Darkmoon protection. Members